Friends with Benefits

September 22, 2006

Party in the Parking Lot

It’s that time of year.

Leaves line the ground, whisked by the chilly breeze that hisses through the autumn air.The crackle of flames invites all to the fireplace.

But you can’t hear anything between loud burps and the afternoon game that echoes through your living room.It’s football season, and millions of Americans will cling to their television sets for the next four months.For men, this is our church, our confessional.To atone for the week’s shortcomings, we get drunk on Sundays and scream like banshees for our favorite teams.Some might call it barbaric.I call it beautiful.

The couch may be home for some fans; for others, it’s not enough.Staying at home is a sin.Real fans go to the game.

Well, kind of.Some “real” fans don’t have the dollar bills to pay for NFL tickets.Good seats for the Seahawks vs. Bears game?At least $150 per ticket.Cost of parking at the Burnham Harbor Parking Lot for tailgating six hours before kickoff?$30.

This is what makes being a “real” fan possible.You’re there – amidst the glory of the super fans, the puddles of beer and the aroma of cheap meat, purchased in bulk for every fan that needs a fix – and you can devote all your money to the source that needs it most: a keg.

Here is a quick recipe to give your stomach a layer for beer.It’s easy enough to finish if you forget to prepare the night before the game.

Mesa Rosa Chipotle Dip

One container of sour cream

One jar of Urban Accents Mesa Rosa Chipotle

Directions: Mix to desired chipotle spice level.Eat.Eat some more.Pass to newfound tailgating friend next to you.

Need other recipes?Unfortunately, my diet consists of cheap booze and snack food, but I have found the ultimate site in teaching the art of tailgating.www.tailgating.com. This is the most valuable resource on the Internet.There is a “Commissioner” of Tailgating.There is a guide to parking lots.There are more recipes.Check out the banner at the top of the site. We salute you, America.

Bill Buford: HeatHeat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany- A perfect Pig Roasting Pigmailion story from desk jockey to line cook in New York's Babbo restaurant

Mark Kurlansky: Salt: A World Historyfinally finished this sodium saga and while it's slow in many places, it's still a fascinating read about the history of salt and how different cultures in the world have lived and died for this simple element. Other food origins revealed as well. It's no Sidney Sheldon but give it a try.